Algonquian (Algic) Language Family

Introduction

Algonquian Language Family

Introduction
Linguists think that the Algonquian (Algic) languages originated from an ancestral language called Proto-Algonquian that was spoken between 3,000-2,000 years ago in the area between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario.

Today, the Algonquian language family includes a group of 27 languages spoken in a wide region stretching through the central part of the North American continent from the Canadian subarctic in the north to the eastern seaboard as far south as North Carolina.

Algonquian languages are usually subdivided into three groups. The table below lists the three branches and their members.

Plains Algonquian
Blackfoot	5,100	Canada
Cheyenne	1,721	USA
Arapaho	1,038	USA
Gros Ventre	10
Nawathinehena	extinct	USA
Piscataway	extinct	USA
Central Algonquian
Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi	104,269	Canada
Ojibwe	35,000	Canada, USA
Potawatomi	50	USA
Menominee	39	USA
Kickapoo	539	USA
Mesquakie	200-300	USA
Miami	extinct	USA
Shawnee	200	USA
Carolina Algonquian	extinct	USA
Eastern Algonquian
Micmac	8,510	Canada
Mohegan-Montauk-Narragansett	extinct	USA
Nanticoke	extinct	USA
Powhatan	extinct	USA
Eastern Abnaki	extinct	USA
Western Abenaki	20	Canada
Malecite-Passamaquoddy	1,655	Canada
Munsee	7-8	Canada
Unami	extinct	USA
Wampanoag	extinct	USA
Mahican	extinct	USA

The two distantly related languages Wiyot (now extinct) and Yurok (12 remaining speakers) are also included in the Algic family. Some linguists include the Muscogean languages in the larger Algonquian family.

Muskogee	4,300	USA
Choctaw	9,211	USA
Chicasaw	1,000	USA

Only a handful of the Algonquian languages have a significant number of speakers. The largest single language is Ojibwe with 35,000 speakers. Ten languages are already extinct, and 4 are on the verge of extinction. Most surviving languages are spoken by older adults who are not passing their language on to their children.

Structure

Grammar

Grammar
Despite numerous differences in their structure, all Algonquian languages share certain grammatical features. Algonquian languages are polysynthetic, i.e., they add prefixes and suffixes to stems to indicate various grammatical categories.

Noun phrase
Algonquian nouns belong to two classes that roughly correspond to animate and inanimate. In some cases, these categories appear to be quite arbitrary. For instance, besides including persons and animals, animate nouns also include spirits, trees, some fruits, some body parts, and also household utensils such as kettles. Languages differ from each other in the way they assign nouns to these categories. A noun may be animate in one language and inanimate in another. Algonquian nouns are also marked for number (singular and plural).

Pronouns
Pronouns are marked for number and person (first, second, and third), although Algonquian languages make an additional distinction between the first person plural in which the hearer or addressee is included (first person plural inclusive) and the one in which the hearer is not included (first person plural exclusive). A further distinction is made between a third person who is nearer and one that is further.

Verb phrase
Algonquian verb stems are inflected for person, number, gender, and direction. Here is an example taken from Bragdon.

newapamawa
ne-	-wap-	-am-	-awa
" first person singular"	"see"	"direction marker"	"gender & number of the Direct Object"

Vocabulary

Just to give you an idea of what a sentence in an Algonquian language (in this case, in Ojibwe) looks like, here is an example with an English translation:

Ojibwa	English
Aabiding gii-ayaawag niizh ikwewag: mindimooyenh, odaanisan bezhig.	Once there were two women: an old lady, and one of her daughters.

Click here to see more of the text.

Some basic words in selected Algonquian languages

Take a look at some basic words in six Algonquian languages.

Do you see any similarities across the different languages?
Which languages appear to be closer to each other?

	Blackfoot	Cheyenne	Ojibwe	Cree	Arapaho	Kickapoo	Micmac
One	Ni't	Na'estse	Bezhig	Peyak	Casey	Nekoti	Ne'wt
Two	Náátsi	Neshe	Niizh	Nîso	Niis	Niiswi	Ta'pu
Three	Nioókska	Na'he	Niswi	Nisto	Naso	Nethwihi	Si'st or Ne'siskl
Four	Niisó	Neve	Niiwin	Newo	Yein	Niewi	Ne'w
Five	Niisito	Nóho	Naanan	Nîyânan	Yaathan	Niananwi	Na'n
Man	Ninaa	Hetane	Inini	Napew	Hinen	Inenia	Ji'nim
Woman	Aakíí	Hé'e	Ikwe	Iskwew	Hisei	Ihkweea	E'pit
Sun	Ki'sómm	Eshe'he	Giizis	Pîsim	Hiisiis	Kiisethwa	Na'gu'set
Moon	Ko'komiki'somm	Taa'e-éshe'he	Dibik-Giizis	Tipiskâw pîsim	Biikosiis	Tepehkiiha	Tepgunu'set
Water	Aohkíí	Mahpe	Nibi	Nîpîy	Nech	Nepihi	Samqwan

Writing

Algonquian languages had no writing before they came in contact with European missionaries in the 17th century. Since then, missionaries attempted to devise writing systems for these languages in order to translate the Bible. The earliest Bible was printed in North America in 1663 in the Massachusett language. Today, all currently spoken and some extinct Algonquian languages, have writing systems. Most are written with the Roman alphabet, but there are some that are written with specially devised syllabaries, e.g., Ojibwe (in Canada). Several languages have active literacy programs.

Papoose

Tobaggan

Tomahawk

Algonquian words in American Place Names
Algonquian languages were among the first Indian languages encountered by European settlers. As a result, many names of U.S. states and cities are of Algonquian origin. Among them are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Incidentally, the name Chicago comes from an Algonquian word meaning "place of the onion," or "place of the bad smell."

Algonquian words in general use

wigwam	from Algonquian (probably Abenaki) wigwam "a dwelling"
hickory	from Algonquian (perhaps Powhatan), shortening of pockerchicory or a similar name for this species of walnut
hominy	from Algonquian (probably Powhatan) appuminneonash "parched corn"
moccasin	from an Algonquian language of Virginia (probably Powhatan) makasin "shoe"
tomahawk	from Algonquian (probably Powhatan) tamahack "what is used in cutting," from tamaham "he cuts."
powwow	from Algonquian (probably Narragansett) powwow "shaman, medicine man," from a verb meaning "to use divination, to dream"
wampum	shortened from wampumpeag, from Algonquian (probably Narragansett) wanpanpiak "string of white shell beads," from wab- "white" + -ompe- "string" + plural suffix -ag.
papoose	from Algonquian (Narragansett) papoos "child," literally "very young."
toboggan	from Algonquian (probably Micmac) tobakun "a sled"
squaw	from Algonquian (Massachuset) squa "woman"

Resources

Algonquian language and culture resources
Native Languages of the Americas: Algic (Algonquian) Language Family
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire American Indian Resources
Encyclopedia of North American Indians -- Algonquian Languages
Wikipedia -- Algonquian Languages
Native Web
Native American Languages

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